I decided that it was time to hold myself accountable. I found an environmental organization in my city which makes recycling accesible to all citizens. I started learning about different types of plastic and how to distinguish between them, started collecting it instead of throwing it away. Then, I started volunteering at that organization and help other people make the world a little cleaner. I have been doing it for over a year now saving around 400kg of trash from being stored somewhere at the outskirts of the city for hundreds of years.

The next step was getting rid of single use plastic altogether. As for now I have a bamboo brush, a set of eco-bags, a crystal deodorant that I found in our zero waste shop, a reusable glass bottle, a set of containers for buying unpackaged goods. My next goal is to switch to a menstrual cup as menstrual products are highly toxic for environment and there is no sustainable way of disposing of them.

My latest contribution was shopping in thrift shops. Fashion industry is extremely harmful for our planet and there are very few ways for us to change it. When I need base clothes (jeans, T-shirts, etc.) that I know I am going to wear for a long time, I go to an expensive shop that sells high quality stuff. In other cases, I prefer to go to a thrift shop. It can be cheaper and is certainly more sustainable than buying a new piece of clothing from a mass market shop.

I know there are still many things I need to change about my life but I think even small steps help greatly. The most important part is not to give up and to educate people around you.